The harder you work the luckier you get! Posts: 965 | From Nebraska Cornhuskers fan in Massachusetts | Registered: Dec 2007
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Rumigirl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15091
posted
Wow, personally I would say that this would be a VERY LAST thing to consider!! In my book it is brutal (having seen my mother after it way too many times). I'm sure that it is done somewhat better these days, but still, there are so many better alternatives!!
A top notch psychotherapist/psychiatrist for really good therapy, and a top notch psychpharmacologist would be the best places to start.
Posts: 3771 | From around | Registered: Mar 2008
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Cass A
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11134
posted
ECT is torture passed off as treatment. It was originated as a method of killing pigs.
It is known to cause brain damage that is permanent.
Please check out MindFreedom.org, which is a group of psychiatric survivors who have personal experience with this.
Best,
Cass A
Posts: 1245 | From Thousand Oaks, CA | Registered: Feb 2007
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lululymemom
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 26405
posted
Carrie Fisher was discussing this on Oprah and MSNBC the other day. She says she uses this therapy regularly for her bi-polar conditon.
"Fisher said her disorder resisted all drugs and therapy, and she finally found relief through electroconvulsive therapy, commonly known as electroshock, which applies an electric current to the brain. Decades ago the therapy carried a lot of negative implications, but Fisher said psychiatrists have dialed the voltage down and patients don�t really go into convulsions. �I loved it because it worked,� she said.
I know it's a radical treatment, and I never thought I would hear anyone speak positively about it, but I guess for her it really worked.
posted
Four people in my life have had ECT. And all four, I am now convinced, had severe depression as as a result of decades of undiagnosed and untreated Lyme Disease. In addition to the depression, all four had physical symptoms strongly suggestive of Lyme.
My mother had ECT back in the 1960's, when they really cranked up the volts and did it without anesthesia, I believe. I was thirteen and I visited her in the hospital after she had had a treatment, and she thought I was her brother, asked me how my wife Cecile was. I have never forgotten that.
The three others were friends of mine. They had ECT during the last ten years. It is done differently now, patients are sedated and anesthetized.
Does it work? I believe in some cases it does. It worked on my three friends, at least for awhile. People can be pulled out of the black depths of despair when nothing else works. ECT is a last resort, to be used only in severe, intractable cases.
Does it injure the brain? Hard to say, cuz Lyme Disease injures the brain too, and who's to say what caused the damage? It certainly affects memory, especially right after the treatments. But memory returns, not sure all of it does.
I would say two of the four people I know would probably elect to have ECT again if they really needed it.
-------------------- Sick since at least age 6, now 67. Decades of misdiagnosis. Numerous arthritic, neuro, psych, vision, cardiac symptoms. Been treating for 7 years, incl 8 mos on IV. Bart was missed so now treating that. Posts: 765 | From nw ct | Registered: Sep 2008
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posted
Personally hubby was offered this treatment twice in the early stages of his illness. This is when he was undiagnosed. We are both very glad that we refused the treatment. At the time he had severe Parkinsonian tremors and lots of dry heaves. Was not responding to any of the "standard" G.I. treatments for gastritis and Parkinson meds made things worse. He had problems sleeping due to tremors.
Since no one could explain his tremors he was diagnosed with anxiety and depression. This was before his seizure like episodes started and before he tried those meds which also did not work.
In my opinion ECT made absolutely no sense as a treatment in the condition he was in at the time.
Like someone else said -- I would consider this treatment only as a last resort.
Hubby responded much better to amino acid therapy than he did to psychotropic meds.
Bea Seibert
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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sutherngrl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 16270
posted
This therapy should be reserved for ppl who are suicidal or who are treatment resistant.
I do know someone that it helped very much.
Posts: 4035 | From Mississippi | Registered: Jul 2008
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posted
ECT- don't do it! I heard memory loss is what develops from it.
I know a lot of true stories (none good) of friends that had it done. I attend a support group for depression.
These people are ruined from it.
-------------------- I'm glad to know I'm not alone Some peace of mind I somehow find Through folks like you with Lyme! Posts: 240 | From An infected state | Registered: Jan 2011
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